s welled up with tears. "I wish you would bless me, too, O my
mother!" he said, and burst into a passionate fit of weeping. Harry's
arms were in a moment round his brother's neck, and he kissed George a
score of times.

"Never mind, George. I know whether you are a good brother or not. Don't
mind what she says. She don't mean it."

"I do mean it, child," cries the mother. "Would to Heaven--"

"_Hold your tongue, I say_!" roars out Harry. "It's a shame to speak so
to him, ma'am."

"And so it is, Harry," says Mrs. Mountain, shaking his hand. "You never
said a truer word in your life."

"Mrs. Mountain, do you dare to set my children against me?" cries the
widow. "From this very day, madam--"

"Turn me and my child into the street? Do," says Mrs. Mountain. "That
will be a fine revenge because the English lawyer won't give you the
boy's money. Find another companion who will tell you black is white, and
flatter you; it is not my way, madam. When shall I go? I shan't be long
a-packing. I did not bring much into Castlewood house, and I shall not
take much out."

"Hush! the bells are ringing for church, Mountain. Let us try, if you
please, and compose ourselves," said the widow, and she looked with eyes
of extreme affection, certainly at one, perhaps at both, of her children.
George kept his head down, and Harry, who was near, got quite close to
him during the sermon, and sat with his arm round his brother's neck.

From these incidents it may be clearly seen that Madame Esmond besides
being a brisk little woman at business and ruling like a little queen in
Castlewood was also a victim of many freaks and oddities, among them one
of the most prominent being a great desire for flattery. There was no
amount of compliment which she could not graciously receive and take as
her due, and it was her greatest delight to receive attention from
suitors of every degree. Her elder boy saw this peculiarity of his
mother's disposition and chafed privately under it. From a very early
day he revolted when compliments were paid to the little lady, and
strove to expose them with his youthful satire; so that his mother would
say gravely, "the Esmonds were always of a jealous disposition, and my
poor boy takes after my father and mother in this."

One winter after their first tutor had been dismissed Madame Esmond took
them to Williamsburg for such education as the schools and colleges there
afforded, and there they listened to the preachi